FNC Completes Third Quarter as Number One Network in All of Primetime Television Among Total Viewers
“Hannity” Finishes the Quarter as the Top-Rated Program, while “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Ends September as Number One Across the Board for September and Both Earn their Highest-Rated Quarters in History
NEW YORK – September 29, 2020 – FOX News Channel (FNC) completed the third quarter of 2020 notching a historic milestone as the first cable network to ever surpass all broadcast networks in weekday primetime with total viewers for a full quarter, according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, FNC also remained the number one network in all of television for the summer beginning Memorial Day and continuing through Labor Day, topping every broadcast network in viewers. The network was also the most-watched channel across both total day and primetime among all of basic cable, marking 17 consecutive quarters in the top spot in total day and growing 29 percent in total day and 44 percent in primetime year-over-year. Additionally, FNC finished the quarter as the number one network in upscale cable rankings (income of $100K+) in total day among total viewers, the key 25-54 demographic and the younger 18-49 demographic.
Throughout total day and primetime, FNC marked 75 uninterrupted quarters as the top-rated cable news network and continued to deliver a sizeable percent advantage over both MSNBC and CNN. In total day, FNC garnered 1.8 million viewers, 302,000 with A25-54 and 188,000 with A18-49. In primetime, FNC delivered 3.5 million viewers, 595,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 387,000 with A18-49, notching 50 straight quarters as the leading cable news channel in the key 25-54 demographic. FNC also secured a win in the 9AM-5PM/ET dayside hours in the 25-54 demographic. During the third quarter of 2020, FNC claimed six of the top eight cable news programs in viewers, as well as seven of the top nine in the 25-54 demo. The network also comprised 67 of the top 100 cable telecasts and 68 out the top 100 for the month of September.
Hannity at 9PM/ET finished the quarter as the top-rated program in overall viewers, delivering a record 4,454,000 viewers and 775,000 in the demo. The show marked its highest-rated quarter in history in both viewers and in the key 25-54 demographic. At 8PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight scored the highest-rated program in the demo for the quarter, averaging 781,000 and 4,351,000 viewers, respectively. Notably, the program surpassed its competitors in the 8PM/ET timeslot combined across each category. Both Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight once against averaged over 4 million viewers for an entire quarter for the third consecutive quarter. Additionally, each beat several entertainment and news programming on broadcast in viewers, including CBS’ Big Brother, the NBA conference finals airing on ESPN, and Notre Dame football airing on NBC.
The Ingraham Angle at 10PM/ET delivered 3.4 million viewers and 624,000 in the 25-54 demo, ranking in ahead of MSNBC’s primetime offering, The Rachel Maddow Show, making Ingraham the most-watched female in cable news during the third quarter. Notably, Ingraham has defeated Maddow for the last three consecutive quarters as well as four of the past five quarters in both categories. At 5PM/ET, The Five dominated the hour with 3.5 million viewers and 527,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting CNN and MSNBC combined in viewers in the timeslot. FNC’s primetime programming as well as The Five all surpassed ABC’s Good Morning America and This Week, CBS’ Face The Nation, and NBC’s The Today Show and Meet the Press in viewers.
From 4-6AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST was the number one show in its timeslot, garnering 615,000 viewers and topping CNN’s morning program New Day airing from 6AM-9AM/ET. Meanwhile, FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends marked 75 consecutive quarters as the highest-rated morning show in cable news with 1.6 million viewers 279,000 in the demo. Furthermore, CNN’s New Day during the same timeslot was among the lowest-rated programs in cable news with only 614,000 viewers. The network’s three-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom (9AM-12PM/ET), garnered 1.7 million viewers and 284,000 in the demo defeating the competition in both categories.
The network’s afternoon ensemble program, Outnumbered (weekdays at 12PM/ET), averaged 1.9 million viewers and 291,000 in the demo, and at 1PM/ET, Outnumbered Overtime, anchored by Harris Faulkner, delivered 1.8 million viewers and 292,000 in the 25-54 demo. Faulkner beat ABC at 1PM/ET in total viewers a record 50 weeks since 3Q’19, and topped the broadcast network for the fourth consecutive quarter. At 2PM/ET, The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino delivered 1.7 million viewers and 278,000 with A25-54. FNC’s Bill Hemmer Reports also averaged 1.7 million viewers and 279,000 in the demo during the 3PM/ET hour, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4PM/ET averaged 1.8 million viewers and 293,000 with A25-54, securing a win over MSNBC’s Deadline: White House in the key demo.
Among FNC’s early and late evening programming, Special Report with Bret Baier garnered 2.8 million viewers and 443,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Story with Martha MacCallum delivered 2.4 million viewers and 420,000 in the 25-54 demo. Meanwhile, MSNBC’s highly-publicized new program The ReidOut is down 12 percent in viewers since launch month. At 11PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream had an average audience of 1.9 million viewers and 400,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing MSNBC’s 11th Hour with Brian Williams in the 25-54 demographic for the sixth straight quarter.
On weekends, FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends from 6-10AM/ET) dominated CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewers, with 1.4 million and 237,000 in the demo. Justice with Judge Jeanine (Saturdays at 9PM/ET) earned the number one program in viewers, with 2.7 million and 323,000 in the demo. The Greg Gutfeld Show (Saturdays at 10PM/ET) finished the quarter as the highest-rated late-night program in total viewers with 2.5 million, topping all broadcast and cable late night comedy programs, including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. The program also secured the top spot in the key demo, with 378,000. Additionally, Saturday’s primetime powerhouse lineup of Watters World (Saturdays at 8PM/ET), Justice with Judge Jeanine, and The Greg Gutfeld Show surpassed CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewers.
FNC also won all weekend primetime hours in total viewers, including Watters World (2.6 million viewers; 334,000 A25-54), Justice with Judge Jeanine, The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton (1.9 million viewers; 276,000 A25-54) and Life, Liberty and Levin (2.1 million viewers; 273,000 A25-54). On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays at 10AM/ET) averaged 1.9 million total viewers and 302,000 in the demo, while MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz, delivered 1.6 million viewers and 267,000 in the 25-54 demo, propelling both programs to lead in their respective timeslots. Notably, MediaBuzz also outpaced CNN’s Reliable Sources across the board, with the CNN program securing only 1 million viewers and 213,000 in the demo. FOX Report with Jon Scott (1.5 million viewers; 229,000 A25-54) and Cavuto Live (1.6 million viewers; 266,000 A25-54) each dominated the competition in their respective timeslots.
FNC finished the month of September with its highest-rated September in network history across total day and primetime and remained the number one network in all of television in primetime total viewers. Ranking in as the number one program in cable news in all categories, Tucker Carlson Tonight delivered 4.6 million viewers and 841,000 in the A25-54 demographic. The program also ended September with its highest-rated month in viewers. Hannity followed suit with 4.5 million viewers and 766,000 in the demo, and finished with its second highest-rated month in program history among viewers. Both programs delivered over 4 million viewers for the eighth consecutive month.
Additionally, The Ingraham Angle delivered another strong finish with 3.6 million total viewers and 651,000 in the demo. Notably, the network’s primetime lineup earned its largest year-to-year growth of any prime-time cable news programs in the demo, with Tucker Carlson Tonight up 78 percent with A25-54, Hannity up 56 percent with A25-54, and The Ingraham Angle up 62 percent with A25-54. FOX News @ Night with anchor Shannon Bream at 11PM/ET also saw a 64 percent increase in the demo, the largest year-to-year increase. FOX & Friends surpassed all of CNN’s daytime and primetime programming for the month in viewers.
In September, the network also swept the cable news competition with every weekday original program in the demo. Additionally, FNC is the only cable news network that remains up year over year for every month this year.
THIRD QUARTER 2020 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Hannity (4,454,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (4,351,000), The Five (3,483,000), The Ingraham Angle (3,430,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (3,302,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (781,000), Hannity (775,000), The Ingraham Angle (624,000), The Five (527,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (504,000)
3Q’20 VS. 3Q’19 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,751,000 total viewers – up 29% (302,000 in 25-54 – up 31%)
CNN: 971,000 total viewers – up 56% (239,000 in 25-54 – up 61%)
MSNBC: 1,207,000 total viewers up 37% (181,000 in 25-54 – up 41%)
PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET
FNC: 3,507,000 total viewers – up 44% (595,000 in 25-54 – up 63%)
CNN: 1,526,000 total viewers – up 47% (392,000 in 25-54 – up 46%)
MSNBC: 2,122,000 total viewers – up 39% (326,000 in 25-54 – up 43%)
SEPTEMBER 2020 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (4,633,000), Hannity (4,504,000), The Five (3,701,000), The Ingraham Angle (3,608,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (3,428,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (841,000), Hannity (766,000), The Ingraham Angle (651,000), The Five (562,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (540,000)
SEPTEMBER’20 VS. SEPTEMBER’19 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,834,000 total viewers – up 35% (314,000 in 25-54 – up 41%)
CNN: 895,000 total viewers – up 43% (206,000 in 25-54 – up 41%)
MSNBC: 1,168,000 total viewers – up 28% (172,000 in 25-54 – up 32%)
PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET
FNC: 3,625,000 total viewers – up 50% (612,000 in 25-54 – up 75%)
CNN: 1,336,000 total viewers – up 51% (311,000 in 25-54 – up 39%)
MSNBC: 2,061,000 total viewers – up 29% (312,000 in 25-54 – up 31%)
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in all of cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for more than 18 consecutive years. According to a 2020 Brand Keys Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News is the top brand in the country for morning and evening news coverage. A 2019 Suffolk University poll also named FOX News as the most trusted source for television news or commentary, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. Owned by FOX Corp, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
